Wheeling Office Manager Pilfers $350K, Faces 23 Years

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Cindy Shearer, 58, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to systematically robbing her employers and the IRS over a six-year period. The scheme netted her nearly $350,000, and now she’s facing a hefty prison sentence, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced today.

Shearer, formerly the office manager for Cane Business Forms & Systems, later reorganized as Precision Printed Products in Triadelphia, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of “Wire Fraud” and one count of “Filing False Income Tax Return.” From April 2013 until the end of 2019, Shearer abused her position of trust, diverting company funds for personal gain.

The feds say Shearer’s method was simple, yet effective. She wrote checks totaling $276,892.88 from Cane Business Forms & Systems and $67,672.41 from Precision Printed Products, made payable to herself, but fraudulently listed as payments to legitimate vendors. These checks were then cashed or deposited directly into her personal bank accounts, a blatant act of theft concealed through deceptive accounting.

But the greed didn’t stop there. Shearer also failed to report the stolen funds on her federal income tax returns, effectively defrauding the Internal Revenue Service of approximately $54,509. The IRS wasn’t just robbed of revenue, but also subjected to a calculated attempt to avoid accountability. As part of the plea deal, Shearer has agreed to full restitution to both businesses and the IRS for the entire amount.

The government is seeking significant punishment. Shearer faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine for the wire fraud charge. On top of that, she’s looking at up to three years in prison and another $250,000 fine for the tax evasion charge – a potential total of 23 years in federal prison. The actual sentence will be determined based on federal sentencing guidelines, taking into account the severity of the crimes and Shearer’s criminal history, if any.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case. The investigation was a joint effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided over the guilty plea, signaling the beginning of the end for Shearer’s fraudulent scheme. This case serves as a stark reminder that financial crimes, no matter how carefully concealed, will be pursued and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.